


This Is A Terrible Way To Run A Business!

by Lettuce_And_Teamwork



Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: An Inappropriate Amount Of Worldbuilding, F/F, Gen, Genderfluid Character, I Don't Know What I'm Doing But I'm Too Afraid To Stop, Is Master Attendant a reincarnation of Gudako?, Is Weed A Food Soul?, Like Seriously Guys There's A Lot Of Talk About Summonings And Events, M/M, More likely than you'd think, OOC Food Souls Probably, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Terrible Naming Schemes, ooc characters probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 08:32:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17403563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lettuce_And_Teamwork/pseuds/Lettuce_And_Teamwork
Summary: Chris Dela Rosa dreams of becoming an owner of a world renowned restaurant. Even one that's locally renowned would be fine. Unfortunately for her, life has unexpected twists and turns in the form of the following:- Food Ending Up on Her Doorstep- A Closet Full Of Skeletons- Carnival Games- Budgeting: The Musical- An Angry CrabAll along with the task of ‘saving the world’. Honestly, this is way too troublesome. Who thought this was a good idea?!“Just let me run my own restaurant!!”(A fanfic about a terrible master attendant and her absurd luck. Main storyline? What's that?)





	1. First Impressions Are Always The Weirdest

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a fic loosely(emphasis on LOOSELY) based on the main Storyline of Food Fantasy. Mostly this is me just messing around with the world and the setting like some sort of madman. Elex please don't sue me.
> 
> Do keep in mind that the food souls and characters used in this fic aren't the same as the ones within the main storyline of the actual game. Some are of my own interpretations and some of the relationships they have are merely headcanons. This is because I don't exactly know the complete stories of said food souls since the NA servers haven't updated them and also I prefer not to be spoiled by the wikis.
> 
> This fic was made at the start of 2019 and so please excuse the (inevitable) future differences from the game's storyline.

Business in Flame's Wings Restaurant was abysmal.

Chris had a suspicion it was because of the name. Flame's Wings didn't exactly sell buffalo wings, let alone any chicken dish as of the moment because of low supply and lack of demand. The name was probably a little misleading.

It definitely wasn't the fact that the place was all run down or the floorboards creaked whenever anyone stepped on it the wrong way. Absolutely not the fact that there were cobwebs in the corner no matter how hard she tried to clean the place up. Let's not even think about the terrible clashing designs within the restaurant itself: gaudy displays around the walls, weird knick knacks on shelves, and terribly clashing designs.

It was like a kitchen nightmare.

Thank fuck Britain as we knew it didn't exist in this universe, otherwise you'd get an angry Scot yelling about how the steak is so raw it's still grazing.

Then again, she practically got it for free after the previous owners up and left her with the deed and the debt that came along with it. The debt was paid off easily, just gave the coins from the vault that the idiots didn't take to the gang whom they(and, in turn, she) previously owed money to, but if she kept this up there was no way she'd last the week. Just yesterday she had to eat half a bowl of rice minus the salt for her only meal; she didn't dare touch the supplies she bought with the leftover money because what if a customer came? She couldn't just let them starve… that's simply no way to run a business.

“Anybody, anyone out there, I'll take even that dude downstairs, please get me out of this terrible situation. I promise that I'll take care of this restaurant better than anything. Just don't let me starve again...” She prayed silently as the loud rumbling of her stomach could be heard.

 

She closed her eyes and hoped for a miracle.

What she got in return was someone kicking the door open so hard it flew off its hinges and into the kitchen with a very audible thump. Chris yelped, ducking under the counter before cautiously popping her head up. She glared with half-malice towards the figure at the doorway.

“Shoot,” The culprit said, standing still in the doorway along with a couple of her companions. “I'll pay for that!”

“You damn fucking better, lady, holy fuck.” Chris blurts out before she could control herself. She immediately places both her hands on her mouth as if in shock. “Shit, sorry, I didn't--”

The culprit-- customer, hopefully, laughs and shakes her head, covering her mouth daintily with her hand as her companions fill into the restaurant. The sound of creaking floorboards was almost like a symphony to Chris's ears. She carefully dodges people clamoring to take a seat and walks up to the culprit, handing menus as she went along.

“So, what brings y'all here? As you can see, there's not a lot of people in my resto so… what gives?” Chris asks, mostly out of curiosity as she hands out menus to those who request it.

“Well, we just came back from a hunt, more or less, and this place seems better than nothing.” The lady said, shrugging as she removed her bag and handed it to someone else. “What kind of food do you serve here?”

“As of now, just plain Gloriville cuisine. Want a menu?”

The lady, named Olivia judging by one of her companions calling her over to one of the tables, took the menu after muttering a quick thank you. The person with her bag followed soon after, seemingly gliding on the floor as she did so.

 

Chris stared at the people inside her, admittedly dingy, resto-- this was more than what she was used to. About 15 people inside her resto were talking about what to order. When she asked for a miracle, this wasn't what she expected. Still, she'll take what she can get.

She pulls up her sleeves and ties her long hair in a bun, pulling out a pen and a small notepad. One customer raised his hand and she rushed to each him, dashing along the floorboards with ease. This went on until she fully managed to get everyone's orders. Before anyone could leave and before she could tell herself to give up, she served them all a pitcher of cold water and went to the kitchen.

“Sixteen mango wrap-- five servings to go, Eight apple crisps, three eggplant rolls, five roast beef, eight smoked salmon, four fried cod, all with salads and fries on the side.” She gulped as she washed her hands before wiping them on her clean apron. she shook her head to psyche herself up. “I can do this.”

The rest of the evening was a blur, probably because some of the lady's companions noticed that she was the only person in the restaurant and decided to help. Still, the most she let them do was serve the food and chop whatever's in need of bring chopped. She missed being able to man the kitchen; especially since nobody dared to enter for some reason, not like she could blame them. The travelling party called her out when she finished, telling her that she shouldn't eat alone in the kitchen during dinner.

And that's how she ended up in one of the tables, getting grilled by the lady who kicked her door open and started all this in the first place.

 

“So you're the only one managing this place? No assistants?” Olivia asks, eating the salmon over a bed of hot rice.

“Couldn't really afford it.” Chris replies, chewing on an apple crisp. “I'm already tied up with my normal living expenses and it's not like there's a lot of people who come by here to eat.”

“But your food is good! I've never tasted roast beef this tender before… or salmon this flavorful.”

“Eh, you learn a few tricks when you get really hungry. Trust me, the challenge is getting chicken cooked all the way through in under five minutes without leaving the middle raw or burning the crust.”

Olivia nods in agreement, closing her eyes to savor the flavor of the salmon.

“And I'm guessing you haven't eaten well in a while?” The lady's companion-- Tiramisu, Chris corrected herself, asked as she drank some warm tea.

“What makes you say that?” Chris asks, grabbing another ring and chewing on it.

“I'm pretty sure you ate half of the plate at this point.” Chris looked like she was a deer caught in the headlights, only to ease up once Tiramisu gave her a warm smile. “Relax, there's plenty for everyone. Go ahead and eat as much as you need to.”

Chris hesitantly takes a cup of rice. And then another. And then another before sighing in content at the first full meal she had since she started running the place. She noticed Olivia raising an eyebrow at her and she blushed.

“Sorry, I'm not usually this… voracious. Business has been tight lately and, well, the atmosphere here is terrible.”

“That’s true.” Olivia hummed in agreement. “I wouldn't have known it was a decent restaurant if Tiramisu here didn't point it out.”

“Oh?” Chris asks, staring at Tiramisu in wonder.

“Let's just say I have an instinct for these sorts of things, okay?” Tiramisu replied, winking conspiratorially as Chris averts her gaze.

 

They ate their meal surrounded by busy talk. Laughter as everyone ate good food, gossip about the latest trends, and talks about how the family was holding up. The noise was noise, yes, but it was welcome in this place that was always left so empty save for one person.

Chris missed this feeling of belonging. She basked in it enough to not hear Olivia ask her a question.

“...Food Soul?”

“Sorry, what was that?” She asked, snapping out of her reverie.

“I said, have you ever thought of summoning a Food Soul?” Olivia said, sipping on some water as Chris stared in confusion.

“It'll be easier to get fresh ingredients and handle the restaurant as well; you wouldn't need to spend as much money on maintenance and hiring assistants. Plus I'm sure people would be intrigued, causing more business opportunities and income. It's such a waste to have talent like you waste away like this, you know?”

“I mean… I've never thought much about it. it's expensive to summon one, let alone enough to take on an expedition.”

“Mm… I see.” Olivia paused, placing down her teacup and standing up to stretch. She offered Chris a hand and gave her a smile while her other hand took her bag. “In that case, mind if we step outside for a while? It's about time I pay you back for the meal you gave us.”

Chris stared at the hand in slight suspicion before shrugging and accepting it. Olivia heaved her up as she was careful to not jostle the table as she stood, scooping up one apple crisp as she did so. Tiramisu waved them away as Olivia practically dragged Chris to the outside of the restaurant.

 

The moon was shining brightly, shaped like a dinner plate, as they left the restaurant and to the thinner parts of the woods. There lay a clearing with a well, a clean one wherein Chris got her water from. Olivia placed down her bag with an audible think as Chris realized that this seemed like something out of a horror story. She gulped as Olivia began to take out some candles, a box of matches, a big swath of cloth, and a very intimidating kitchen knife.

As much as Chris would be honored to have a death by knife, she wasn't ready to die until her dreams manage to come true.

“You're uh… you're not gonna kill me and make it look like an accident, are you?” She asked half-jokingly as she slowly stepped away from Olivia.

Olivia paused, knife in hand as she stared at Chris with a puzzled look.

“Wh--no! Why would I even--” Her stare follows Chris's eyes towards the selection of items she laid down on the ground and held in her hand. “. . . Right. I forgot nobody really does this anymore so it's such a rare sight.”

“Does what anymore?”

“A traditional summoning.” Olivia states as she casually set down the knife along with a tiny bundle of seasonings. She then packed the knife back into her bag. “Usually we have a machine do it for us but, well, they're probably closed by now.”

“And the knife is for what? A blood sacrifice?”

“Cutting the mango wraps I ordered to go, silly."

Chris discreetly let out a sigh of relief.

"What? You thought I was going to get blood on my hands tonight?” Olivia joked, only to be taken aback by the slow nod of her new friend. “Oh wow, really?”

“People don't usually bring kitchen knives in bags unless it's for murder or going on the run, Liv.”

“Liv, huh? Nobody's called me that before. I like it.” Olivia mused to herself, conveniently ignoring the prime advice given to her, as she zipped up her bag and left it on the ground.

 

She grabbed four rocks and opened the swathe of cloth (more like picnic blanket by the thickness of it) before weighing it down. She draws three circles on the upper left side of the cloth; one red, one blue, and one orange. After that, she places seasonings corresponding to the three circles: paprika for red, mint for blue, and sugar for orange. She then lights up a candle, dripping its wax on the lower right before smearing it into an arc with her thumb, and sets it aside to illuminate her work. A few minutes later and a clock-shaped summoning circle is written on the cloth. She grabs some sticks, breaks a few of them into smaller sticks, before arranging them just so. Next, she takes the candle and places it in the middle, dripping wax on it to make sure it holds firm.

Olivia then stands up, wiping her brow and grinning down at her masterpiece. Chris stares, confused yet intrigued. Olivia holds out a hand and beckons Chris to come closer.

“Come closer, Chris; we're doing this, we're making it happen.”

“Why?” Chris asks, following the request anyways as she walked to Olivia's side.

“So the Food Soul can recognize you as its master, duh. Can't see you from way over there, after all.”

Olivia brings out a purse full of crystals-- no doubt somewhat expensive, as crystals usually were. She fishes out one big crystal, most likely forged from a hundred shards, and holds it in her hand.

“This is what we call a crystal. Normally, we use this in case there's not enough soul shards to summon with.” She explains, showing it off to Chris before asking her to step back and observe.

Olivia cups her hands around the crystal and gently blows on it. She closes her eyes and stretches her cupped hands at around arm's length, all while muttering a request left to be answered. The crystal in her hand begins to float on its own as Chris stares in awe. The wind started to pick up, lifting the sticks and seasonings from the cloth to swirl around the glowing flame. The candle failed to extinguish, instead it grew brighter and brighter until suddenly-- it roared brightly before going out as quickly, leaving a humanoid creature in its wake.

The creature could barely stand for a second before it started to fall over. Chris managing to catch the creature at the nick of time, scooping the admittedly light creature in her arms as she turned around to face Olivia.

“Oh, the fuck?” was all Chris could say as Olivia sighed deeply.

 

“Shit… I think I botched up the summoning.” Olivia groaned, storing away her pouch as she walked up to Chris. “That's the last time I buy crystals for cheap from that guy in the back alley! I swear to hell, the next time I see him, I'm going to--”

The food soul in Chris' arms started to stir, cutting Olivia's rant rather effectively.

“Who… are you…?” It asked, blinking its eyes open as it tried to make sense out of what was happening.

“Is she--I’m guessing she, talking to me?” Chris asked incredulously, glancing at Olivia for approval.

“Give her your name. That way your contract is sealed.”

Chris raised her eyebrow questioningly but, well, Olivia wasn't wrong so far. Might as well do as she was told.

“Uh… my name is Chris Dela Rosa? I'm uh… your master attendant, I guess?”

“Master… Attendant… Master Attendant…” The food soul worded out, as if the words were foreign to her, and smiled. “I am Rice.”

“It's nice to meet you, Rice.” Chris replies, meaning every bit of the word.

Though she wasn't a poet or the remotely romantic type, there was definitely something in her meeting this food soul. Fate, maybe, had plans for the two of them. Rice seemed trustworthy enough. Who knew, maybe they could go somewhere with this humble beginning.

Ah fuck, she was attached. This ought to be a record.

 

“Wouldn't get too attached to her, Chris.” Olivia said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Eh? How come?”

"Aside from her being an M-class?" Chris shot her a look and Olivia cleared her throat. "I'll explain that sometime."

“She's an Empty Shell, one without any combat capabilities whatsoever due to a lack of power; think of her like an undercooked piece of dough left out for too long. Tiramisu tells me that they usually leave those things out to fend for themselves.” Olivia said, frowning at her failure of a summon. “You're better off handing her to someone else, maybe they'll turn her into shards to be used by another Rice.”

“Shards?”

“Bits and pieces of a food soul, manifesting in reality.” Olivia said, leaving it at that.

As she started packing her things, Rice was asking a couple of questions to her new Master Attendant. Chris, having used to being questioned, answers them as simple as she can to satisfy Rice's thirst. Besides, if they were going to work together, it was best they established a sort of rapport.

 

“Hey,” She spoke, giving Rice's questions pause as the food soul stared at her. “Think you can stand now?”

Rice nodded, slowly starting to levitate from her attendant's hold. Chris hesitantly let go of one arm to steadying Rice's unsteady floating and firmly held Rice's hand. Rice shook her head, fluffy hair flowing out of her like a shroud, and smiled in reassurance. Chris smiled back as she let go.

“I'm really sorry about this, if you'd like I can take her in and summon another one for you?” Olivia said, hoisting the her bag over her shoulder and interrupting the moment.

Rice seemed to sense the implications of the phrase and dashed behind her attendant. She clung onto the back of her attendant's shirt and peeked out her attendant's shoulder. She glared fearfully at the human.

“N… no!” She managed to stutter out, shivering slightly. “Don't wanna!”

The very image was enough to melt Chris' heart. Said heart had the consistency and heat resistance of butter; an absolute fucking softie, that one, so it wasn't really that hard to get on her good side.

“Aww, but Olivia…!” Chris whined, discreetly motioning to Rice.

Olivia stared at Rice, who was still glaring defiantly, and back to Chris. It was hard to fathom why the hopeless chef would want to keep a practically useless food soul around when it couldn't gather basic ingredients. Still, she supposed she could see the reason why they'd take a liking to each other. Besides, who was she to stop the two when they decided to stay? Olivia may be a practical person but she wasn't evil enough to pull a person apart from their newly summoned food soul.

“If that's what you want, well, I can't really stop you.” She sighed, relenting to the request as she hid the begrudging smile gracing her lips.

Chris fist-pumped in victory while Rice let out a small whoop of celebration. Olivia couldn't help staring at the two of them with a nostalgic look; it almost reminded her about the first time she got Tiramisu after learning how to summon manually.

“Did you hear that? You can stay!” Chris said as Rice nodded so hard her head might've fell off.

 

“I still feel bad about summoning an Empty Shell for your first food soul… let me make it up to you, at least?” Olivia offered, holding a hand out for a handshake.

“If it'll make you feel better, don't see why not?” Chris replied, smiling as she took Olivia's hand and shook it.

 

They headed back to the restaurant, Rice clinging on to her new attendant, as Olivia explained the details of owning a food soul.

Although they worked better than humans, needing only a special type of food to stay healthy and awake, they acted like they were human. They ate, they laughed, they cried, and they get hurt. Apparently, it wasn't uncommon for other attendants to form close relationships with their food souls to the point of marriage or adoption, weird as it sounded. Food for them is more like a bonding activity, kind of like gifting someone with something you know they would like or how eating with others bringing them closer. They had varied experiences, sometimes, but have a baseline personality. The relationships they had with certain specific food souls tended to be preserved, no matter how they were summoned or by who; some say it's destiny and some say it's because the soul would be less likely to turn on its attendant if there was a reason to stay.

Contracts needed to be nourished by trust, formed by spending time with the food soul and increasing the soul's fondness for the attendant. Stronger bonds, like Olivia and Tiramisu, tended to have better results for both parties.

"So why are there so many? I mean, you told me it was possible to have a duplicate soul during summoning and Master Attendants fighting with the same team-ups..."

"I don't know, exactly... I've heard of a myth that for every individual food made and enjoyed by a human, a food soul is born, but that sounds ridiculous." Olivia answers, scoffing at the thought. "I think they just... appear any time someone becomes an Attendant."

 

"What about Food Souls that can recall their past? You told me your Tiramisu used to be a nurse for a hospital or something..."

"Special cases."

Chris gave Olivia a look that said 'more info please' and she hummed in thought. She paused for a while and took a deep breath, preparing for a long explanation.

"Sometimes the summoning picks a soul with a non-existent contract or very weak bond to be given to a new attendant so the memories are still very fresh. Sometimes it takes a while for them to recall what they left behind if they got placed back into the summoning pool, either as shard remnants or because they ended up dying and rendering the contract void with their previous attendant. Some don't recall at all and, well, revert to their baseline personality; occasionally it's due to trauma, physical and otherwise."

"Everyone once in a while, however, a part of those memories resurface as habits or quirks but, well, what do I know? I'm a chef not a psychologist." Olivia stretched, yawning as Rice stared at her in observance. "It pretty much varies between souls so, uh, keep that in mind."

"Huh. Baller."

 

The moment they got to the clearing near the restaurant, Chris saw a figure running towards them.

"Master Olivia!" Tiramisu yelled, waving her spoon-staff around.

"Tiramisu!!" Olivia yelled back, eyes lighting up as she ran towards her food soul.

Chris was expecting a hug, judging by the way Olivia's hands were wide open. The furious look on Tiramisu's face said otherwise.

After Olivia landed on the ground with a thud, Tiramisu began to lecture her attendant. Chris walked up and paused at the scene as Rice peeked from behind her shoulder.

"You dummy, where did you go? The team was just going to leave me with the bill and you know I can't cover all of that! I don't even have an allowance!"

Olivia moaned, lifting her head from the ground and grinning slyly. Chris noticed Tiramisu readying her spoon.

"Eh? Guess you'll just have to pay by... Other means..."

Tiramisu lifts her staff threateningly as Olivia winces. She holds up a hand in surrender as she uses the other to raise herself.

"I'm kidding! I'll pay for it! I'll pay!"

"You'd better! No offense, Chris, but the place looks like it's in terrible condition. You need all the help you can get."

"Eh, you're right, anyways." Chris shrugs, waving off Tiramisu's concern. "I was planning on getting it repaired once business began to boom but..."

"Don't worry, I'll be coming back tomorrow to pay."

"You're coming by tomorrow?!"

Olivia nodded, handing Chris a calling card. It looked and smelled like the real deal. Oddly enough, it smelled like freshly cut grass and raspberry preserves despite the professionalism surrounding it.

 

**The Food Soul Association: Olivia von Delicatessen.**

 

"Just hit me up and I'll be there."

"Uh... Thanks, miss Olivia."

"Please, call me Liv." Olivia said, winking as she wrapped an arm around Tiramisu's waist and walked away with the food soul in tow.

Rice and Chris stares at each other, not knowing what else to say. Nobody was going to rob the place and there wasn't much else to do in the night than to sleep.

"I don't have a spare bed..." Chris brought up as they entered the doorless restaurant. "You okay with sleeping together?"

"I don't mind."

 

And so the two ended up spooning in a small bed with a blanket that barely covered either of them. This resulted in relying on the other's body heat and, in the case of Rice, hair fluffiness in order to not freeze. The bedroom door itself was locked and the windows were curtained.

The restaurant door, of course, was forgotten in the back of the bar.


	2. Enter: The Food Soul Association

Due to yesterday's fuss, what with news by mouth travelling surprisingly fast, Chris found herself with a couple of customers. Although there were only around five people, that was still five times more than yesterday. Considering she barely got any customers, this was still big news.

Perhaps, she thought to herself as she brushed back the stray strands of brown hair peeking from her makeshift bandanna, if she worked hard enough today, people may order the next time.

Rice proved herself to be an excellent worker. She served tables with surprising grace and stamina, never faltering with her movements despite her shyness. Although she could do with some speed, she was stronger than she looked; after all, she did manage to serve the last order of the day, a really big slab of roast beef, with no sweat at all. She didn't even look tired by the end of it.

Chris decided to close the shop a little early, mostly so she could get more acquainted with Rice.

Just as she was about to hang her apron on the peg, she heard boots on creaky floorboards. She was about to tell whoever entered that the shop was closed until tomorrow until the person spoke.

 

"Chris! I come with guests!"

She whipped her head around as Rice popped her head from the kitchen.

"Liv?!"

Chris stared dumbfounded at Olivia and the rest of the people who came in with her. Quite a few of them were rather strong-looking, as were their food souls. One of them, a man with long yellow hair tied back in a braid, was staring at the restaurant with a clear look of disgust as he scribbled something down on his clipboard. The others were pouring in from the outside, taking pictures of the area and whatnot. Despite that, Olivia had a cheerful look to her.

"Who are those?" Chris asked as the crew practically poured into the restaurant.

"Ahaha.... See, funny story..." Olivia laughed humorlessly, scratching her cheek as she looked off to the side. "They're my coworkers. We're here to do an assessment."

Now this was something a bit more worrisome than just a few lads coming over for some cheeky Nando's. This was 'possibly suspected for arson and/or tax fraud' level anxiety-inducing. The photography and clear look of displeasure made her feel like this was an inspection rather than assessment.

Chris walked over, passing a woman who was currently discussing aesthetics with her food soul. Rice floated silently, more curious than afraid, and began to observe the workers. Chris looked back and, once reassured that her only food soul wasn't going anywhere, faced the hunter. She raised an eyebrow, clearly in a 'what the fuck' sentiment.

"I thought you hunted? Like, fallen angel-type hunting?"

Chris pulled up a chair, sat down, and motioned Olivia to do the same.

"That's more of a side-job as the leader of a squadron. My main job is to recruit people into the Food Soul Association."

She sucked air, hissing as she leaned on the decrepit table. It creaked in response to the weight.

"Somehow, I'm dreading the next words that will be coming out of your mouth."

Olivia sighed, giving in to the request, and pulled up a chair.

 

"It turns out, giving someone a Food Soul breaks the rules imposed on me by the higher-ups. So I have to force you to join our ranks as a member or we both have to face the consequences."

Chris felt her blood freeze. Consequences were never a good thing. They especially were even more suspicious if you had made a recent friend who you didn't know was a member of a group and suddenly showed up with about a dozen people who could break your spine faster than you could say _nakakapagpabagabag_.

Hopefully, that didn't end in death--or worse, if the glare the man was currently giving her told anything at all.

"What... what consequences...?"

"For me, it's being fired and exiled. For you, however..."

Olivia motions a slicing neck motion, causing Chris to wonder if that knife in her bag really was for the purpose of cutting up mango wraps. If it was, then she dreaded the frying pan that stuck out of Olivia's shoulder bag.The scrubbing brush was most likely to be just as deadly no matter how innocent it looked.

There really wasn't much of a choice that she could make.

"Right. Okay. So it's join or death." Chris deadpanned as Olivia nodded in confirmation. Chris sighed, hanging her head as she covered her eyes with a hand. "Sign me the fuck up, then."

Olivia nodded to her side.

"Neil, if you please?"

The guy with the yellow braid walked forward. He immediately keeps his clipboard into his backpack, keeping the latch open. He removes a wad of papers from the pack and put the cover back on.

"Good afternoon, miss...?"

Neil offers the papers, which Chris takes gratefully.

"Oh, Chris Dela Rosa. Just Chris is fine."

He nods in understanding, handing her an already uncapped red ball pen. She took it and twirled it around a hand as she read the contract.

 

"Alright, Chris, I need you to sign every page of this, right above the line at the bottom left side of the page. This ensures that you will follow the association's rule book and code of conduct in return for the benefits of being a part of the association such as financial support and better job opportunities."

Chris paused from her reading and looked up, arching an eyebrow.

"Rulebook?"

Neil plops down a tome on the table, causing it to rattle. Chris could do nothing but stare at the gigantic rule book. It was almost thick enough to rival a pound cake.

"Think of it as a terms and conditions sort of thing, just so we don't get sued." He patted it fondly. "This is your copy, by the way. Be sure to read all of it."

She let out a noise of begrudging understanding, making a mental note to read it in full before she went to bed, and continued to read the contract.

"Furthermore, the contract basically states that you will be held responsible for the treatment and care of your food souls. Should you prove to be a... shall we say, unworthy attendant, then you will be stripped of your rights to own a food soul as well as your license to own a restaurant and given a sentence in jail which varies depending on the severity of the mistreatment of the food soul. We will be conducting investigations should we find unsatisfactory living conditions, however, we hold a surprise investigation at least twice a year."

Chris looked up from the page she was signing and raised an eyebrow.

"Unworthy? How do you judge that?"

Neil huffed in annoyance but grinned slyly, like a rather dogmatic demon who found his prey. She almost regretted asking.

"Oh, we have our ways."

She felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Anything else i should know?"

Neil hummed, turning to a page and pointed something out from it.

"Attendants are encouraged to join events, word of which is sent in through our mandatory weekly newsletter. A small fee of about 25% of your income for the week is to be taxed in order to keep the association in working order. Oh, and you may need to stay in a friend's house during the renovation; don't worry, we work very quickly."

"The what now?"

 

Neil turns to look at her, eyebrow cocked and a hint of amusement on his lips.

"You don't expect us to work with a shabby looking restaurant such as this, do you?"

Chris was about to retort before Neil shoots her down with a resounding no. She then cleared her throat.

"Carry on, sir."

He nodded, straightening his posture and taking out his clipboard and a marker.

"Of course, the renovation is completely free, but you may need to feed the squadrons who arrive here completely free of charge for a few years or so." He says offhandedly, writing something down on the clipboard. "I'll tell you once my calculations are finished."

Chris gulped.

"How long will the renovation take?"

"About a few hours." Neil said, handing her a card as he jerked his head over to his coworker. "Olivia here can show you the ropes while we work on it."

"I... I see."

Chris stared down at the official-looking ID card she received.

 

**Food Soul Association**

**Member: Chris Dela Rosa**

**Rank: 001**

 

It was kind of spooky how Neil managed to do it so fast. Then again, times have changed, so it's not much of a stretch to assume it's flat-out magic or really advanced tech. Perhaps it'll change in due time, judging by the tiny progress bar next to her rank.

She jumped at the sound of the broken door being thrown out of the premises, taking a window along with it. She turned her head to face Neil, clear worry and fear in her features as he waved it off.

"Worry not, we won't be touching your quarters. We're only interested in the restaurant itself." Neil stated as the workers were tearing down walls.

He hands her a calling card and tosses Olivia a lanyard as he did so.

Chris looks back to Rice, who gave her attendant a wave, and smiles, reassured that she was in safe hands. Olivia tugs Chris' arm motioning to the outside.

 

As the two visited the town, both to distract from the renovation as well as actually getting to know the town for what it is, Chris began to ask questions. Some were simple questions with simple answers.

What's your favorite food?

How did you become the leader of a squadron?

Do you prefer cats or dogs?

Some were not.

How does summoning work?

Are the cards tracking systems?

"Why is the FSA so strict?"

 

Olivia pauses, humming as if thinking about how to best put her thoughts into words.

"It's a recently established organization--an international humanities department? I think? from around a hundred years back. Something about the people who abuse Food Souls, fully sentient beings, going about unpunished so the association was formed in order to regulate the people who could become Master Attendants. Furthermore, it gives protection to towns who may be going bankrupt due to attacks by Fallen Angels or living under the very real threat of starvation as an effect of living in areas inhabited by them."

Chris stared at the look Olivia had on her face. It was one of pure admiration, albeit a little starstruck.

"It's all quite amazing, really. A charity organization created for recalling the responsibility of mankind; especially in this day and age, it's something that's reminds humanity that all isn't lost if we only open our minds and hearts. If we only remember that we're not the only ones who live and exist in this world."

She sighs wistfully, eyes downcast yet pace still constant.

"I just wish that people could understand that, instead of thinking that we're just a bunch of freaky killjoys and lunch-crazy perverts." She mutters before she realizes that she's in the presence of another person. She tilts her head and smiles, although it's lost its radiance due to the wistfulness."Ah, sorry, I got a bit ahead of myself, didn't I?"

Chris shook her head and hummed in understanding.

"No wonder they got mad at you for giving me one when i wasn't even remotely indoctrinated..." "I mean, I'm very thankful for Rice being by my side but you probably shouldn't have done that."

Rice popped her head from beside her attendant and gave a firm nod. Chris discreetly passed Rice a piece of candy, which she took gratefully, and stared in amusement at Olivia's offended look.

"Hey, it's not my fault I wanted to help out the needy! It's in my blood!!"

"You're calling me needy?"

Olivia opened her mouth to retort. Chris stared and raised an eyebrow, daring Olivia to say something. She then promptly closed it, blinked, and shut up for about three seconds.

And with that, Olivia changed the topic from the FSA to the pros and cons of different types of aprons. Chris let Olivia talk this time, knowing that she herself had little knowledge of the topic. That and it was actually somewhat interesting.

 

After around an hour or so of walking, they ended up on the end of a small line in front of a strange building.

It was remarkably brown due to paint but somehow it didn't look terrible. Its windows were covered with beige blinds, shielding passers-by from the light that shone from within the building. The roof appeared to be more like a tent than a proper roof; still, it was rather eye-catching and looked rather elegant. Although it looked patched up, there was definitely a lot of care put into its creation. Meanwhile, at its entrance, people were being held back by velvet rope and some people who were doing their best to ease tensions by talking.

"And so this here is the summoning shop." Olivia introduced, deliberately dragging Chris up to the front of the line.

Although the people in the line didn't seem to mind, it was still kind of rude to do so. The moderators of the line looked at Olivia in confusion until she flashed the card on the lanyard Neil gave her earlier. It was then that one of them escorted the both of them to a door with the words 'New Member Priority' written on it before leaving the both of them to their own devices.

Olivia motions Chris to open the door first and what she saw was quite curious.

 

"Oh hey, that machine looks like your summoning circle!"

Olivia nods, patting the machine with pride.

"Mmhm! This bad boy can summon so many food souls a day. It's such a huge convenience, especially to attendants who can't summon due to how long it usually takes."

As Chris continues to stare in awe at the machine, Olivia slings her bag and begins unzipping the main zipper.

"Here, let me teach you how it works."

She fishes out an orange pouch, this time bringing out a large onion-looking ball that had wisps of something emanating from it.

"With... yellow onions?"

Olivia laughs, playfully tossing the onion ball. On second thought, it looked more like a strange dumpling or meat bun. Still, calling it an onion was way more catchy.

"These are soul embers, a cheaper and a more common alternative to crystals. You need about 150 grams of these bad boys to do a summoning since they're somewhat weaker than crystals but they're just as potent if gathered."

"What... what do they feel like?"

"Oh, kinda like cotton? You can find them stuck in random bushes; They're what remains of food soul blood or clothing, depending on where you forage. You need to bind them using a cheesecloth to make it easier to use."

Olivia hands Chris the ball and, subsequently, the pouch itself.

"So just insert them in the mechanism, pull the lever, and wait."

She stared at the pouch, inspecting it. There seemed to be around six bulbs, including the one she was holding in her hand, leading to about nine hundred embers. She shook out the six of them and gave back the pouch to her friend.

She shrugged, placed the embers on a cup-like pedestal, and pulled the lever.

 

The embers started to glow brightly as the machine began making rickety noises. Very worrying rickety noises. Chris glanced at Olivia, who answered to the confused expression with a nod, before focusing on the machine. A summoning circle began to form and an amber flame began to burn in the center.

Suddenly, a shower of flower petals began to emanate from it and surrounded the area. A strong, sweet floral scent fills the air. The flame grows bigger, brighter, and the scent gets even stronger.

As the flame recedes, a food soul stands elegantly with her back against the machine. Branches behind her as if they were angel's wings stripped to the bone, flowers replacing feathers that were barely there.

"So that I have no regrets, I will be sure to achieve my goals at all costs."

The soul opened her crimson red eyes and stared directly into Chris' honey brown ones. She stands tall and proud, hands to her side but ready to strike should the opportunity come. Poised, she lowers her head slightly and her features softened ever so slightly. It was almost like a scene from an anime.

"I ask of you, are you my Master Attendant?"

Somehow, that ended up a little more ominous than it should've sounded. Chris would like to think it was the amber glow coming from the summoning pool beaming behind the soul.

That and the admittedly beautifully intricate guns held at her side would cause anyone to be wary.

"H-huh?" Chris faltered before remembering Olivia's lecture.

Friendly gesture, give them your name, and don't falter. Be commanding but kind. Don't let them distrust you. Just stay calm.

"Ah, yes. I'm Chris Dela Rosa."

The food soul seemed to be observing her outstretched hand as if a handshake was a foreign gesture. Chris gulped at the scrutinizing look.

"I see..." She muttered, eyes forming slits as she nodded in acknowledgement.

Chris awkwardly retracted her hand.

"Very well, then, Master Attendant. I look forward to training with you. I am Black Tea."

The soul made both of her guns vanish as she elegantly walked to the side of Olivia. She stood there, tall and proud, like a king or perhaps a commander.

Chris leaned over to Olivia and whispered.

"What does she mean by training?"

"Black Tea's a serious soul. She's constantly wanting to improve herself so, well, best prepare." Olivia replied. Then, noticing the look on Chris' face, smiled in order to ease the apparent worry. "Don't worry, she's really sweet once you get to know her."

 

Chris gulped as she turned the lever for the second time.

This time, the summoning circle glowed a soft yellow shade, nearing green, instead of an amber one.

The light dimmed and standing in front of the two of them was a soul with the appearance of a young boy who looked like he was ready to fight at a moment's notice. He shook his head and puffed out his chest as he opened his eyes to face Chris.

"Are you my Master Attendant?" He asked, smiling innocently at her.

Chris couldn't help the growing smile on her face as he walked up to her. This one was definitely adorable; in an earnest kind of way, of course. That enthusiasm would be a welcome addition to the household, what with the gloom of having a currently failing restaurant permeating the air. She reached out to ruffle his hair, which he took surprisingly well considering that she was patting someone who is definitely capable of punching her all the way to Palata. He giggled and Chris immediately wanted to make sure nothing bad ever happened to this cinnamon roll of a food soul.

"Mmhm. I'm Chris Dela Rosa."

He immediately perks up and nods.

"I am Tom Yum!" He declares, childishly patting his chest with a fist. "Starting from now on, I will protect you!"

The look Chris gave Olivia was one that said 'gods, he's so precious, I think I might actually cry'. Olivia rolled her eyes and patted Chris' back. 

"Still have a few more to go, Chris."

"Ah, right." Chris said, sniffling slightly as she wiped away a tear. She crouched slightly in order to address Tom Yum better. "Go ahead and talk to Black Tea, alright? I'll be with you soon when i finish."

"Okay, Master Attendant!"

 

As he walked off, calling Black Tea's attention, Chris cranked the lever again.

This time, the same familiar amber flame appeared and quickly gave way to the silhouette of a maidenly figure before turning corporeal. As much as Chris would hate to admit it, she glanced at the surprisingly robust chest on the food soul before glancing at the soul's face.

To be fair, they were rather... hard to miss.

"Even if I am not familiar with something... I shall do my best to help you in any way..." The food soul whispered, opening her eyes as she began staring directly into Chris' eyes. "My name is Milk."

Compared to Black Tea's scrutiny, this was far more unnerving. Milk looked like she was looking past Chris entirely. Still, that didn't deter her from reaching out a hand to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Milk." She said as Milk stared disinterested at the open palm. "Uh... Chris. Chris Dela Rosa."

Milk nods her head and accepts the handshake. Chris smiles and the edge of Milk's lips curl up slightly.

"Milk's your first healer, huh?" Olivia whistles lowly, glancing at Milk's assets for a quick second before looking away. "Good thing she pairs well with Black Tea."

At the mention of Black Tea, Milk perks up and her eyes take on a barely noticeable shine.

"Black Tea...? She's here?"

Before Chris could even respond, she heard an audible gasp from behind. She turned around to see Black Tea break her serious facade while Tom Yum stares in confusion.

"Milk?"

Black Tea practically runs over which, considering she was wearing heels, is more like a power walk than a full-on run. She slows down and stops in front of Milk, trying not to make the wonder on her face look too obvious. Milk herself looked shocked but pleasantly so.

The two stare at each other in silence.

"I never thought I'd..." Milk starts and falters as if she doesn't know what word to say. She swallows and clears her throat. "Be able to fight by your side."

They kept staring, as if they were hesitant to touch each other.

Olivia clears her throat, breaking the spell, and nudges Chris. 

"You two know each other?" She asks.

Milk nods as Black Tea glances off to the side.

"We used to." She said, as if that explained everything. "We never thought we'd be summoned by the same Master Attendant. Or in the same age, really."

Chris looked at the both of them and realized what that meant. She grinned and tilted her head to the side, motioning them to leave for a bit.

"Well, you two should go catch up. I have three summons left, after all, and it'd be rude of me to interrupt a lover's reunion."

Black Tea blushed at the thought and Milk purposefully kept on her poker face but they didn't deny the statement. Milk quickly muttered a thank you as they walked past their attendant. If anyone looked closer, they could see Black Tea holding Milk's hand.

 

Chris smiled before facing the lever and yanking it again.

Unsurprisingly, the flames were amber colored. Surprisingly, however, there was a concerning amount of confetti scattering around the area. Chris picked one from her hair, taking in the weird shape; it was fan-like and was accompanied by tiny yellow stars. The food soul in front of her stood her ground and looked down on her despite being smaller.

"You should feel honored by the arrival of this young lady!" A resounding shout came from the tiny food soul as she delicately held out a closed fan. "Has the welcome ceremony been prepared?"

Chris blinked in disbelief.

"And who are you?"

The soul closed her fan, mouth open in shock as her eyebrows furrowed. She unfurled her fan and covered the lower half her face. One could tell that the expression she wasn't making wasn't ladylike at the very least.

"I'm Crepe! Don't tell me you haven't heard of me at all?!"

She haughtily glowered at the attendant, most likely an inch away from blasting her with a gust of wind had Olivia not intervened.

"So sorry, she's new to this. Forgive her, just this once?"

The food soul seemed to consider it.

"Hmph!" She huffed, looking away from Chris as if she didn't even care to acknowledge her. "Very well, I'll allow this little mistake to pass by. Do not disappoint me again, Attendant!"

Chris, who barely got any words in edgewise, stared at Crepe as she walked away to see the other summoned souls.

"It's Chris!" Chris yelled in desperation only to be snubbed by the arrogant soul. "Aaand she's gone."

She hung her head and sighed. Olivia patted Chris' back in sympathy.

"Don't dwell on it too much. Took mine a while to warm up to me; even now, she's still quite demanding."

 

Chris, of course, pulls the lever once more like it's routine. 

Oddly enough, the yellow flame looked a little brighter than the rest. It glowed brightly as the air started to smell like sweet caramel; it was enough for the two attendants to taste it on their tongues.

The flame burned and so did the taste of the caramel, leaving behind a seemingly young girl at its wake. She opened her aquamarine eyes and looked around curiously. It was than that she spotted the attendant in front of her.

"Is it you who's summoned me?" She asked, blinking at her supposed attendant.

"Mmhm. Name's Chris."

The food soul lit up, doing a giddy little hop as she baby-stepped forward. Chris found the action kind of nostalgic, like something she used to do before she had the hope crushed out of her.

"Master Attendant!" The soul said, clasping Chris' hand with both of hers. "Remember to take me out to play often, okay?"

Chris was so startled by the suddenness of it, she could do nothing but approve. The puppy eyes certainly didn't help the situation.

"I... promise? Uh...?"

"I'm Hawthorne Ball!" Hawthorne answered, changing the subject as she began to observe her attendant's appearance. "Ooh, what're you wearing?"

Chris looked down at her outfit.

A maroon kerchief was holding most of her messy dark brown hair back. For the top, she had an undershirt topped with a translucent camisa detailed with simple embroidery-- something she took great care of due to the work put into it. The milky beige color of her top went well with her brown skin, which tended to get darker whenever she went outside, and brought out the colors of her scarf. The said apron-like scarf tied around her hips kept a white skirt in place. She wore wooden slippers that matched the look though, really, she did it mostly for the aesthetic; they were, in all honesty, a little hard to walk in but she could manage.

It was, all-in-all, a little old fashioned when compared to Olivia's more modern outfit. Still, she was proud of it nonetheless, as it took her a while to put together an outfit that was cheap and comforting to her but still functional at its core.

"It's a modified baro't saya--took me a while to make the coordination work but, well, I like how it looks at the moment. I used to wish i could wear one of those intricate ones more often but, well, it tends to get hot in them so this is a good compromise."

Chris does a quick twirl, letting the skirt flare up and grins at Hawthorne's look of awe.

"It looks pretty, right?"

Hawthorne nodded enthusiastically, much to Chris' amusement.

"Where's it from?"

"Fenas, my hometown."

"Is it nice there?"

Chris started to answer before Hawthorne's eye caught Tom Yum juggling his gloves out of boredom. The soul excused herself and went over to socialize. Olivia took this moment to poke fun at the situation, leaning on her friend's shoulder and poking Chris' cheek.

"Hyper little thing, isn't she?"

"You know, I have a feeling her and I would get along quite well."

 

Chris gently removed Olivia's arm from her shoulder and pulled the lever one last time.

This time, a shower of cards blasted through the amber flame, causing much shock to Chris as Olivia merely chuckled. The food soul that appeared looked enthused to be summoned.

"Would you like to play a game of luck and skill? I am always ready." He asked, holding up a fan of cards.

"Sure, why not?"

The soul did a double-take; it wasn't common that anyone wanted to play with him, least of all his attendants. They'd always say that he cheated. Then again, sometimes he did, but that was mostly to spice things up.

"Wait--really? You'll play with me?"

"It gets boring at home sometimes." Chris shrugged, walking over to play. "I'm Chris, by the way."

The food soul grinned mischievously as he made his current deck vanish and created a fan of cards. They looked less like playing cards and a little more like tarot cards, if one were to look closely.

"I'll tell you my name if you can guess which one of these is the ace of hearts."

Olivia rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Chris' shoulder.

"Don't bother, he's a bit of a trickster. He'll--"

"It's the second one." Chris says and the soul closes the fan, leaving only that one in his hand. He flips it over, showing off The Fool, and Chris shakes her head. "Not that, I meant the one in your other hand."

"Eh?!" He exclaims, taken aback by her response. That was the first time his attendant did such a thing which, admittedly, was somewhat refreshing.

Sure enough, he reveals the deck behind his back and reveals that the second card, indeed, contained the Ace of Cups, the equivalent of hearts within the minor deck.

Usually, when he was summoned, he did this to gauge how his bond with his attendant would play out. Having the attendant guess correctly on the first time was stunning-- not only did he get to play the game with little cajoling, he couldn't determine what it meant when they got the card right on the first try. Still, luck was most likely on his side as anyone who could guess the ace of cups on their third try was usually kind.

"L-Lucky guess..." He muttered, frowning as he made them disappear.

He motioned for her to lean in close and whispered his name. She pulled back and contemplated it while he made his usual card deck appear.

"Sandwich, huh?" She hummed, grinning at him as she held out her hand. "I look forward to playing with you again."

Sandwich felt his heart beat and the blood rush to his cheeks. Damned cards calling him out like this immediately after he did a divination. Why him.

"Ah, you too, Master Attendant...!"

He shook her hand before he walked towards his new teammates. He nearly tripped on Hawthorne, not looking where he was going due to being a little too preoccupied by his thoughts.

 

After the rest of the afternoon being followed by her new food souls and a tour, Olivia decided to expand on the basics.

The rarity system was used to determine how well certain food souls performed at their job. M-ranked food souls, M standing for Management, work better inside the restaurant either as servers or as cooks. R-ranked souls are quite common, usually they're the first soul summoned and brought to five stars due to how easy it is to collect shards of them. SR-ranked souls are rarer, however, they ted to be slightly more powerful; despite that, a team of five star Rs can overpower a team of no star SRs with ease. UR-ranked souls are the most powerful, however, they require a lot of time and dedication to get to five stars due to how hard they are to get.

Fusion comes into play on getting shards but, well, that's a completely different topic.

"And those are the basics, more or less." Olivia finished as they rounded a corner. "You should try to head out and gather food alone sometime."

"I mean, I probably should, if business starts booming..."

Chris trailed off, muttering something about cost and finance as her souls talked to each other in the background.

Hawthorne was playing cards with Sandwich, who was blatantly cheating but she didn't mind it at all. Black Tea and Milk had their shoulders linked, sort of like an old couple out for a stroll, as Black Tea's flowers let out a soft floral scent. Tom Yum was happily observing the scenery around him, taking care to not stray a little too far and petting the occasional cat that runs up to him.

Olivia suddenly lets a noise of remembering.

"Oh! and I almost forgot--" Chris shook off the trance to look back at Olivia. "Since you're new to this entire thing, we'll be sending someone to help you learn the ropes. Though, in my opinion, he's a bit more troublesome than you'd expect."

"Eh? How come?"

"Oh, he started a fight with someone over their newly formed contract saying something about it being unfair, ended up getting the food soul in a custody battle, and now he's like what? A rank 30?" She recalled, waving it off. "Kid moves fast for someone who started a little over two weeks, let me tell you."

Knowing by now that people from the FSA weren't exactly completely sane, Chris had a few doubts on her partnership with this guy.

"A-are you sure it's okay for someone like that to be my uh... for the lack of a better word, 'Senpai'?"

"Oh, you'll be fine! He doesn't bite." Olivia scoffed.

It was the few seconds of pausing as she deliberately thought it out that got Chris worried.

"Well, at least i think he doesn't? Whatever, he's a good kid at heart and he's genuinely talented so it shouldn't matter."

"That's not very reassuring..."

 

**Food Soul Association**

**Member: Chris Dela Rosa**

**Rank: 007 - [ Cooking Talents] Unlocked**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a quick reminder that most of the food souls present within this fic aren't exactly the same ones you encounter in the game. Most of them will probably be my interpretation of them or are loosely based on them in personality alone, backstories ranging from somewhat-similar to canon to straight-up fanfiction/headcanon. Also i hope the pacing works well in this, since i'm probably going to be writing mostly slice of life in here instead of a straight-up focus on the main storyline.
> 
> Also comments are very much welcome. I'm secretly very thirsty for validation.


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